There are many situations in which the personal safety of an individual, particularly a female, is at risk from an attacker. Violent crimes, such as robbery, rape and assault, frequently occur while the victim is walking to or from a vehicle or a residence. The crimes of molestation, rape and assault, in particular, are oftentimes directed at exercisers, such as walkers, hikers and joggers, who are preoccupied with the exercise activity and thus are vulnerable to a sudden attack. Exercisers are also vulnerable to an attack because it is difficult to carry a device for protecting against an attack, herein referred to as a personal defense apparatus, while exercising.
In response to the need for protection against an attack while exercising, many hand-held personal defense apparatus are now available. Conventional personal defense apparatus include an audible alarm and/or an aerosol canister of a defense fluid, such as tear gas, MACE.RTM. or (cayenne) pepper gas. Such devices, however, are not appropriate for use in all situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,879 issued Aug. 7, 1984 to Des Voignes discloses a device for securing an attack repellant, such as an audible alarm powered by pressurized gas from an aerosol canister or a defense fluid discharged from an aerosol canister, that permits the user to activate the repellent during an attack in which the user's arms are restrained. The device includes an adjustable strap that secures the repellant to the palm of one of the user's hands so that the repellant can be activated using only the fingers or the thumb of one hand. Because the device is held within the palm of the user's hand, however, it is not readily visible to the attacker and therefore does not provide a visible deterrent.
Further, the user must select either an aerosol canister that operates an audible alarm or an aerosol canister that discharges a defense fluid to be secured by the device. An audible alarm, however, is effective only in a populated area where the assistance of a rescuer is readily available. In remote areas, such as parks and nature trails where exercise is typically conducted to avoid automobile traffic and congestion, an audible alarm may not be effective to summon assistance. The rescuer may be too far away to hear the alarm, or the attacker may be able to overcome the victim and disable the alarm before the rescuer is able to locate the scene of the attack.
An aerosol canister of defense fluid is likewise not always effective. Many states, in fact, impose restrictions on the sale and use of products that discharge defense fluids. Even where the use of a product that discharges a defense fluid is permitted, if attacked from behind the victim may be unable to direct the nozzle of the aerosol canister at the attacker. Accordingly, because a victim cannot always predict where and how an attack may occur, the device of the Des Voignes patent does not provide an effective means for protecting a user, and particularly an exerciser, against an attacker.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,119 issued Jul. 26, 1994 to Davis discloses a personal defense apparatus in the form of an exercise weight equipped with an aerosol canister contained in a housing spaced outwardly from the handgrip of the apparatus. The apparatus provides a visual deterrent to the attacker. The nozzle of the defense fluid canister, however, is directed upwardly and includes a trigger mechanism that is difficult to activate with only the fingers and thumb of one hand. Typically, an attacker does not permit the victim such free use of both hands as would be required to activate the defense fluid canister of the apparatus. Further, the Davis apparatus is ineffective when the victim is attacked from behind and is unable to direct the nozzle of the defense fluid canister at the attacker.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,997 issued Jul. 5, 1994 to Washington et al. discloses a similar hand-held exercise weight combined with an aerosol canister containing a defense fluid. A removable weight is attached to the lower end of a hollow handgrip housing the defense fluid canister, and a hand strap is provided between the lower end and the upper end of the handgrip. The palm of the user's hand is placed around the handgrip with the fingers of the hand between the handgrip and the hand strap. Accordingly, the fingers and the thumb of the user's hand are not immediately free to activate the defense fluid canister of the apparatus. Further, exercise weights of the type disclosed in the Washington patent are typically used in pairs to balance the increased resistance to the movement of the arm of the exerciser. Thus, the user must direct the nozzle of the defense fluid canister at the attacker and activate the defense fluid canister with the fingers and thumb of only one hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,349 issued Sep. 7, 1993 to Rife et al. discloses an exercise apparatus in the form of a dumbbell including a handgrip spaced between ball-shaped weights at opposite ends of the apparatus. In different embodiments, the apparatus includes either an extensible club to strike an attacker, or an audible alarm for summoning help, or an aerosol canister containing defense fluid for temporarily incapacitating an attacker. The user of the Rife apparatus, however, must predict which of the different embodiments will be most effective for defending against a particular attack before the attack occurs. As previously discussed, an audible alarm and a canister of defense fluid may be ineffective depending on the location and the manner of the attack. A club, likewise, may be ineffective under certain circumstances, for example when the victim's arms are restrained by the attacker.
It is apparent that the prior art does not provide a hand-held personal defense apparatus that is effective for the different situations in which an attack against an individual, particularly an exerciser may occur. None of the prior art devices alone adequately protect an exerciser against an attack which occurs in a remote area where a rescuer cannot hear an audible alarm, or against an attack in which the arms of the victim are restrained so that the victim is unable to direct the nozzle of an aerosol canister of defense fluid at an attacker and to discharge the defense fluid.